so uh, this might be a really stupid question, but i just spotted someone else in the marriage thread with a domain thaimail.com, typing english and uhm, i wanna know why if you people live in thailand do you all speak such perfect english and have friends called "john" and "andy". how is this so? do all thai people do this, or did you have special schooling? and where did the english connection come from? i mean, the french dont speak english. the germans would rather not, why thailand ?!

-- Anonymous, May 05, 2001

Answers

Think of it this way--where in the world would I speak Thai other than Thailand? Kind of limits our options, doesn't it? I can't speak for everyone who reads my journal, but Andy, Mally, and I went to school together for years. Andy was in America before he came to Thailand and now he's there again. His real name's Thai, but I have no clue where the "Andrew" bit came from. Mally spent time in Ohio before she moved here. They're both Thai--just raised elsewhere at some point. Then we all ended up in international schools and that's strictly English. The environment we grew up in was very much American-oriented, be it school, movies, music, friends, etc.

And no, not everyone in Thailand speaks perfect English. Most of the people at university can barely spell. It's the international school kids that usually rattle off in English. :)

-- Anonymous, May 05, 2001

PS. Not to forget all the native English speakers that live here! We have a lot of those too.

-- Anonymous, May 05, 2001

I guess Ras and I are speaking English because we were in an international school together. Back then, Ras wouldn't speak Thai to me. It took her roughly around two years to finally say something in Thai. Now she wouldn't stop speaking Thai to me. ;)

Not all Thais speak English though. Many of them can barely correctly speak Thai! I was lucky to have experienced life in the US, and Andrew (or the so-called Prince Andy from Ras) is from my Thai nickname. To be honest, I'm not an English native speaker and my English is far from perfect. This, however, excludes my personality (right Ras?). Did that help?

E-mail me Ras! Andrew

-- Anonymous, May 05, 2001

Okay, see, when I was in high school I was very self-conscious about my Thai because everyone spoke Thai while I was speaking English and I just wasn't sure if I sounded...okay. That's pretty sad considering I grew up speaking both languages. I used to have conversations where the other person would speak Thai and me in English. It's still common because there are words that I can't say in Thai and others I can't say in English. Sometimes I only know the Hindi word for something! It's weird. Thankfully I have lovely bilingual friends so life's not so bad. :)

-- Anonymous, May 06, 2001

Oh my word, the system remembers me. Ooh, this is not bad for my radar. Anyway, as I was saying, Ras didn't speak Thai to me at first. I can still remember being upset because she'd respond only in English (Chuck Thong Noddles place). I spoke pure English for the first semester because I thought Thai wasn't allowed on campus (at least that's what my parents said). Anyway, it's nice to practice your communication skills in various languages. Right Ras? ;)

-- Anonymous, May 06, 2001

If one enough intelligence, you do speak the language, of your comforting neighbor. Think there is a behind the scences battle going on. I have done my Duty this week, I pass the Baton to others, while I rest.

-- Anonymous, May 06, 2001

Mais naturellement, Andy. ;) We're people of the world and all. But think of it this way--I speak better English than Thai anyway. Chuck Thong. *lol* That's just as bad in English as it is in Thai.

-- Anonymous, May 07, 2001

I have been living in Thailand all my life, but I only speak Thai when ordering food at restaurants and whatnot. That's pretty much all I know. This is because I've been going to an international school (RIS) for eleven years and am half American.

Will - if you came to Bangkok you would find certain environments (namely the nightclubs and shopping malls) that are crawling with English-speaking international school students.

Rasee, Andy and company - where did you go to high school?

At my school we have stereotypes for each of the other international schools. Airheads and military brats flock to ISB, BPS is a haven for British elitists, TCIS (Thai-Chinese International School, a name which is kind of contradictory) is full of confused Thai and Chinese speakers who don't know why they are being taught in English, NIST is full of very spirited jocks and drama students with absolutely NO sportsmanship.

By the way, I am just stating the general attitudes at my school, I don't really believe them myself. My future husband is a supposed airhead and military brat from ISB. :)

What do people say about RIS, I wonder?..

-- Anonymous, May 11, 2001

Kathy, RIS is pretty much on the same level as ISB to us. Spoiled brats with loads of money. *grin* Andy, Mally and I went to EIS--the cheapest international school around at the time.

-- Anonymous, May 12, 2001

Oh, oh, oh...what?! Future husband? You are so not allowed to have a future husband when you're younger than I am! *mutters* All you over- achieving RIS kids. ;) You know I'm playing with you, Kathy. What grade are you in anyway? And which part of Bangkok do you live in? Andy and I are Sukhumvit brats. I promise I won't stalk you. :)

-- Anonymous, May 12, 2001

Yes, that RIS stereotype is totally true... except the majority of RIS is Thai, whereas ISB must be at least 50% American. I think RIS is the place for wealthy Thai socialites to send their kids. Quite a few people here are/were celebrities/models/actresses/musicians and whatnot.... (umm.. Florence and Oliver Faivre, Kwun Kirk, Briohny, two of the Project H kids, Karen Klongtruadoke, Taya Rogers... Oh, Cindy Burbridge is an alumnus)

Anyway, so most of the people at my school are very narrow-minded, rich and snobby. However, there are the occasional fantastic, brilliant students and teachers which is why I'm happy with my school. Otherwise, I wouldn't be able to stand it.

Er... well. Let's just say my future husband doesn't know he's my future husband. I've only spoken to him once.

oh, and I'M A SUKHUMVIT BRAT TOO!

-- Anonymous, May 13, 2001

Okay, so Kathy...the Emporium bit or the Major bit? :)

-- Anonymous, May 14, 2001

I'm about five to ten minutes away from Emporium. The area of Sukhumvit I live on is filled with wedding parlors, one after the other... we call it "the wedding road".

Oh, and I'm in eleventh grade...

-- Anonymous, May 15, 2001

Ooo, a mystery!

*presses the buzzer*

Thonglo, Thonglo!

-- Anonymous, May 15, 2001

YES! Don't tell me you live on the wedding road too...

-- Anonymous, May 17, 2001

Nope, but I work at Kingswood Language School, just after the fruit market bit of Thonglo. I live across the street from you! Soi 40-- down the street, turn left, and voila! Omg. We may have passed each other in Emporium or Major and not even known it! :)

-- Anonymous, May 17, 2001